Chapter 73 – I Miss My Alma Mater

T/N-Suprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Really Can’t Control Myself.

Hope you all enjoy.

This colorful and strange light indeed astonished the divine officials who had previously lost hope. Some of them were left dumbfounded in their places.

One of the older council members stepped forward and picked up the stone. “Is it broken?”

“Impossible. How could a stone break?” A woman with wavy hair and glasses walked over and elegantly held the stone, which soon settled back into its original white color.

Following her, an elderly person in a long robe walked over, and a green light appeared from the stone, matching the color associated with that elder’s power. This indicated the stone was not broken.

Now, the room was once again enveloped in an eerie calm.

The reason was apparent: if the stone wasn’t broken, what situation was Jian Mei in? In this day and age, does anyone’s stone emit colorless¹It emitted colorful light but i don’t know it was mentioned colorless here light?

All the elders and teacher-council members exchanged glances, all thinking of a particular situation. Throughout the centuries, people with five colors light weren’t unheard of. Everyone always remembered the day when the current Crown Prince, Lu Xingwang, enrolled—the stone emitted a multicolored light when he touched it, signifying he possessed the powers of the five elements, a first for anyone.

One of the council members, a bit excitedly, looked at Jian Mei, ”Could you demonstrate your divine powers for us?”

Jian Mei looked puzzled, ”How should I demonstrate?”

One red-haired teacher stood up and snapped his fingers, conjuring a red flame at his fingertip, ”Like this.”

The wavy-haired female teacher took off her glasses, turned to the red-haired teacher, and conjured a small stream of water out of thin air. The flame from the red-haired teacher extinguished automatically. Smiling, the female teacher said, “Like this.”

These two individuals—one with Fire Divine Power and the other with Water Divine Power—looked quite impressive.

The elder in the long robe walked to an empty potted plant on the table. He placed his hand above it, and soon, the previously motionless soil began to crack slowly. A green sprout emerged, followed by vines growing gently and eventually coiling around the elder’s hand affectionately.

The elder looked at Jian Mei, ”Like this.”

‘…’

Jian Mei fell into silence.

He honestly admitted, ”I don’t know how.”

The room once again fell into a somewhat eerie silence. Then, the elder in the long robe approached and asked, “Don’t you usually use divine  powers?”

For those with powers, using them was natural, an innate part of their existence. Each of them naturally understood how to control their abilities.

Jian Mei shook his head. “I don’t.”

What was the deal with this stone? This became a concern for several teachers in the academy.

The elder hesitated for a moment and said, “Alright, leave us your contact information. We’ll get in touch with you later.”

Jian Mei replied, “Thank you.”

After bowing, he left without any hint of reluctance or attachment, as if he had genuinely attended just an interview, nothing more.

Once Jian Mei left, those few students hadn’t departed yet, as if they were deliberately staying to mock Jian Mei. Seeing him coming out without receiving any identification, they chuckled.

The blonde girl’s voice was particularly loud. “See, I told you! This person without any divine powers always loves to dream big.”

Other companions chimed in:

“Do you have your identification?”

“Of course, I do.”

“I do too.”

Jian Mei gave them a faint glance. Xiao Ban had a somewhat explosive temperament, and he wanted to stand up for Jian Mei.But seeing the expensive clothes and the vast family influence behind those young masters and misses, he hesitated and pulled Jian Mei away.

Outside, Xiao Ban said indignantly, “Mei Mei, why do we have to endure this kind of humiliation? I’m never coming to this school again.”

Jian Mei asked, “What humiliation?”

“Look at them, so haughty and disdainful.” Xiao Ban consoled him, “Aren’t you angry at all?”

Unlike Xiao Ban, who was more sensitive, Jian Mei grew up in a very comfortable environment created by the Jian family. He had inner contentment and wasn’t as sensitive.Therefore, others’ mockery couldn’t genuinely hurt him. Even though he might be considered poor or looked down upon, it didn’t make him angry. On the contrary, he was calm about it.

“Will going to another school or another place really help us avoid this?” Jian Mei lightly smiled, “Where can we hide by running away?”

Xiao Ban was momentarily speechless.

Actually, what Jian Mei said was true. In such a vast world, even that small town was tainted with a corrupt atmosphere. Where could they go that would be any different?

Jian Mei patted Xiao Ban’s shoulder. “Alright, stop thinking so much. I’ll accompany you to another school’s interview.”

Xiao Ban nodded, “Okay.”

…

While they were busy between schools, the palace was also bustling.

Yawen never imagined that as a broadcaster, she’d be summoned by the Crown Prince himself. The fact that she was to enter the palace made her even spend an entire night picking out her clothes.

Once inside the main hall, the palace’s magnificence and solemnity gave her a surreal feeling.

As she entered the grand hall, the guards in their cold and stern armor along the way exuded a sense of oppression. Rows of attendants stood outside the Crown Prince’s hall, without any deviation. Rumors suggested that the Crown Prince preferred quiet and was highly esteemed. He was strict in etiquette, earning respect from both those around him and the court ministers. Since he entered politics, the city’s streets had improved in safety.

His iron-fisted rule²(It typically involves the use of strict rules, severe punishment for disobedience, and a strong, centralized authority that exercises power firmly and sometimes harshly to maintain control over a particular situation or society.) had left a profound impression on Yawen. So when she entered, she was quite nervous. She kept pondering whether she had made a mistake in her work or perhaps disclosed some state secrets to be summoned.

Her supervisor tried to reassure her, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, the Crown Prince just wants to ask you something.”

Yawen didn’t believe it!

What could the Crown Prince possibly want to ask her personally? It was absurd!

Entering the grand hall, she saw a man seated at a nearby table. He wore a black robe with a silver border. Half of his face was covered by a mask, while the visible half was exceptionally handsome, yet exuded a chilly temperament, creating an aloof aura that seemed to keep people at a distance. As she was assessing, Lu Xingwang raised his eyelids to look at her. His dark eyes held a chilly indifference.

Yawen almost knelt down. The remnants of her sanity made her stutter, “Greetings to the Crown Prince.”

“No formalities,” his voice was calm and authoritative.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs standing nearby said, “Your Highness, this is the person who broadcasted the announcement about finding someone the other day.”

Lu Xingwang gave him a glance.

The minister immediately withdrew, ignoring Yawen’s pleading gaze.

Yawen’s nervous breathing became rapid. Just as she was considering how to speak, Lu Xingwang asked, “Were you the one who broadcasted the missing person announcement yesterday?”

Yawen had indeed been on duty yesterday. She hastily replied, “Yes.”

“Hmm,” Lu Xingwang replied blandly. “Who asked you to broadcast it?”

Having reviewed the footage from yesterday and not seeing Jian Mei’s presence, he wondered how the broadcaster got the information.

Yawen recollected for a moment. Yesterday, there was only one missing person announcement. She responded, “It was someone from my hometown.”

“Hometown?” Lu Xingwang raised an eyebrow. “Which hometown?”

“He’s from our Golden Town.” Yawen smiled and continued, “He seems to be a servant at the mayor’s house.”

For some reason, Yawen felt that when she mentioned the word ‘servant’, Lu Xingwang’s expression suddenly turned sour. There was a hint of displeasure, as if she had spoken wrongly.

Lu Xingwang prompted, “Anything else?”

“He asked me to find someone,” Yawen said. “Then he mentioned payment, but I declined.”

It dawned on Yawen at that moment. So, this was what Lu Xingwang wanted to inquire about. She continued, “Your Highness… do you know a person named Lu DaZhuang?”

“…”

An eerie calmness filled the room.

Then, Lu Xingwang shifted his gaze suspiciously, nonchalantly responding, “Acquainted.”

Yawen, oblivious, continued excitedly, “That’s great! I could see how much that child misses him. Initially, when he mentioned that name, I even thought, would any noble be called that? I told him it might be false, and his expression at that moment… It was so heartbreaking. Even so, he said he was willing to trust that person, believing that person wouldn’t deceive him.”

“Your Highness, if you really know that noble, please ask him to visit that child. Even if just for a meeting, to give him an explanation.”

Lu Xingwang heard this, his heart twisted.

How was that child managing in this unfamiliar place? Would he be mistreated as a servant? Did he have someone by his side when he was distressed? Was he being manipulated by people with malicious intentions?

Lu Xingwang wished to rush there immediately but restrained himself with logic. “Where is he?”

Yawen realized and pulled out an address. “We agreed that if we found the person later, we’d send a letter to this address. It’s the mayor’s house. But I don’t know if he’s there; he mentioned he’d be going to school in these two years.”

Lu Xingwang nodded, “Understood. Leave the address, and you may go now.”

Yawen nodded.

After leaving the main hall, someone quickly caught up with her, carrying a tray with rewards.

She was surprised, “I don’t need this; I’m not worthy.”

“You should take it.” A Ruo smiled. “This is the reward from His Highness. Although you might think you didn’t do much, you actually did a great job and helped immensely. You deserve this.”

Yawen never expected such generous rewards for her small help. As she accepted the tray, she glimpsed at the precious coins and rare items inside, feeling a sudden chill. Could that Jian Mei be someone important…?

Meanwhile,

Lu Xingwang put down the file and made a call.

Zuo Qingshan, who was on a business trip, answered, “Hello?”

“Help me check if there’s still a servant named Jian Mei at the mayor’s house in Golden Town,” Lu Xingwang tried to keep his tone calm. “Be quick.”

Zuo Qingshan was bewildered for a moment. “What? Jian Mei? Are you talking about that child? I was recently in that town; how come I didn’t come across them?”

Lu Xingwang didn’t have high hopes for him. “I can’t be certain right now. Just investigate. I need the results by tonight.”

Zuo Qingshan looked puzzled after the call ended.

He had seen the mayor of Golden Town, but as for a servant…

He suddenly remembered the scene from the prison that day. Could it really have been that child?

The next day,

Jishe Academy

When Jian Mei was about to leave for another school, a carriage from Jishe Academy picked him up at the school gate.

The old man who came to pick him up was very earnest. “After careful consideration, we’ve decided to admit you to our school and will arrange for you to join a completely new class, with a better system and learning environment.”

Jian Mei hesitated, “But I don’t have any divine power.”

The old man reassured him, “That’s okay. We’re not that kind of academy. In fact, over the past two years, there have been many capable and intelligent commoners in society, their abilities are outstanding. Therefore, for the past two years, our academy has been discussing whether to admit talented commoner students. We just didn’t have a systematic and complete policy to implement it. Your arrival might be an opportunity for that.”

Jian Mei was a bit confused, “So, am I a special admission student? Have you admitted other commoner students?”

“Not yet, just you this year,” the old man reassured, seeing Jian Mei getting anxious. “But there might be others tomorrow. Don’t worry for now.”

Jian Mei wasn’t worried, just curious, “So, what class am I in this year? You usually assign based on abilities, but I don’t have any.”

“Don’t worry about that,” the old man assured. “We’ve made the decision already. Today is the school’s opening day. Take your luggage; I’ll soon tell you the dorm code and hand over the room card. Settle in and meet your new classmates.”

For some reason, Jian Mei felt the old man, despite his reassuring words, wasn’t entirely reliable.

Upon arriving at the school, Jian Mei asked, “Should I pay the tuition fee?”

Shaking his head, the old man said, “No need, you’re a special admission student.”

Jian Mei didn’t want to take advantage of anyone, “Regardless of the type of student, I’m here to learn. Of course, I should pay for tuition. I don’t have any particular divine power, nor should I have such an honor.”

The old man was surprised, “You’re a commoner, right? I have checked your records, both parents deceased. Is it wrong to save a bit on tuition?”

Jian Mei softly replied, “I am a commoner. I’ve earned money from working before, enough to pay the fees.”

The old man now regarded Jian Mei differently—confident, respectful, and not looking for petty gains. He had his principles and ideas, quite rare.

He smiled, “Let’s settle the fee later. You go to the dorm first.”

Jian Mei agreed, “Okay.”

He had never imagined entering this school. The old man handed him a golden room card and a map, leading him to a building at the edge of the forest, pointing to a path, “Go in from here; you’ll reach the dorm by going straight.”

“Thank you,” Jian Mei said.

Dragging his luggage, he found it strange. Today was the first day of school, right? When he was riding the carriage earlier, he saw numerous people down below. Students in ABC uniforms were bustling around, moving into dorms, yet now as he walked this path, there wasn’t a soul in sight?

Students?

Is this really the dormitory? I hope that old man didn’t deceive me.

Jian Mei was puzzled. He wanted to message Shen Huai to ask, but he didn’t know how to use the information terminal yet, and the old man had already left. He could only continue walking forward with determination. The forest was vast, with bird songs along the way, but he hadn’t encountered anyone. Just as he was wondering how much further until he reached the dorm, he suddenly saw someone up ahead.

Excited, Jian Mei quickly ran over with his small suitcase, “Fellow student!”

The walking boy turned around, leaving Jian Mei stunned. The child looked quite young, maybe only… seven or eight years old? Isn’t that the age for elementary school?

The boy looked at Jian Mei without saying a word.

“Are you going to the dormitory too?” Jian Mei was sweating slightly, “Me too. Shall we go together?”

The little boy turned and continued walking.

“Which class are you in?” Jian Mei asked cautiously. “I just got a room card, but I’m not sure about the layout of the dormitories here.”

The little boy finally responded, “I’m going to the dormitory too.”

Jian Mei was surprised.

Didn’t he ask this question earlier? Your reaction is quite delayed!

Jian Mei tried again, “Should we walk together then?”

The little boy remained silent for a while, his dark head looked cute. Finally, after a while, he said, “I’m in the SA class.”

!!

This kid… answered the previous question again!

Jian Mei waited for a moment, no response. As expected, after a while, the boy said, “Okay, let’s walk together.”

So, it’s not being aloof; it’s just a slow response.

Jian Mei was both amused and exasperated. He found the child really cute and asked, “Is your luggage heavy? Do you want me to help?”

The boy walked silently. After about half a minute, he softly replied, “Not heavy.”

Jian Mei got used to it and said, “I still don’t know which class I’m in. What special divine power do you have, coming to study here at such a young age?”

He used to think that the kids in this school were all arrogant and not very friendly, but what surprised him was that the child in front of him was very obedient and innocent.

The little boy paused for a moment and finally responded, “Everyone walking on this path is in the same class.”

Jian Mei’s smile froze on his face. Was he going to attend elementary school with this child?

Before he could be more astonished, the little boy seemed ready to answer his second question. He put down his suitcase, approached a tree with lush branches, took off his gloves, and touched the trunk with his fair hand.Jian Mei’s eyes widened , the tree started to weather into ash, then almost in an instant, the large tree disappeared from its original spot, leaving only ashes on the ground.

The boy turned to him, saying, “I have Earth Divine Powers.”

Jian Mei, who had just thought the boy was innocent, instinctively took two steps back. He suddenly vaguely remembered what Shen Huai had once told him:

“This year, there’s a little boy from a witchcraft family. His earth Divine powers are variant powers. You see, we manipulate plants to make them grow, but that person, everything he touches, both animals and plants, will die.”

“Some particularly dangerous abilities also go to the SA class. The people there are each more dangerous than the last. It’s the smallest and most independent class in the academy.”

Jian Mei felt a bit overwhelmed. He took out the room card from his pocket, looked at the golden card, and sighed painfully, “No way…”

On the other side,

Imperial Palace

An official approached and asked, “Your Highness, the spring term of Jishe Academy is starting. It’s the fifth anniversary of your graduation this year. The principal sent an email requesting your presence at the opening ceremony to give a speech.”

Liu Xingwang didn’t even lift his head, “I’m occupied recently. Decline on my behalf.”

The official was taken aback, but he never questioned the Prince’s decisions, so he quickly responded, “Yes.”

Just as he was about to leave, Liu Xingwang received an email from Zuo Qingshan. The email indicated that from his investigation, Jian Mei was indeed no longer at the mayor’s residence in the Golden Town. He had left the town and come to the Imperial Capital to study If things went as planned, they would be applying to Jishe Academy.

Liu Xingwang closed the email and said to the official, “Come back.”

The court official hurried back and asked in a low voice, “Your Highness, any instructions?”

“Help me reply to the principal. I’ll attend the opening ceremony this time,” Lu Xingwang said calmly. “And tell him that because it’s been a while since I visited my alma mater, I particularly miss the school. Therefore, I request that all students must be present at the event.”

Translator’s Note-Guys don’t forget to support and comment your views(^-^)

Hope you guys liked the Surprise.

And guys i am changing words here and there so it could make sense.But if you guys really wanna suggest some words to replace original please do tell me in comments.

(^-^)And guys next ch is the one  you all were waiting for.

• 1
  It emitted colorful light but i don’t know it was mentioned colorless here ↩︎
• 2
  (It typically involves the use of strict rules, severe punishment for disobedience, and a strong, centralized authority that exercises power firmly and sometimes harshly to maintain control over a particular situation or society.) ↩︎